We all think there's no bigger addict than ourselves, but apparently that's not quite true.
But it is the German Sepp Hedel who broke the record for the guinness, for the save longest in Football Manager. No fewer than 333 seasons, equivalent to 1940 hours of play!
It all began in December 2017, when Sepp went to work in Africa and decided to start a save in his favourite game, FM.
Away from family and friends, Football Manager became his daily after-work companion.
"While I was there, I played regularly. However, when I came back to my country, I had less time to play, since I was only home at weekends"
For the record to be valid, Sepp couldn't spend more than 5% of that period on holiday, but he says he never did.
"Football Manager is always challenging us with new goals and feats to achieve, so taking holidays wasn't part of my plans. To win a Champions League, you can't rest on your laurels"
Over the 333 seasons, Sepp only took charge of 3 teams.
"My favourite part of the game is developing small clubs. That's why I started with FC United, who won their first premier title in 2037, after six runners-up finishes in a row. It was a special moment"
"After 50 seasons in Manchester, having won everything there was to win, I thought it was time to try something new.
I signed for Bengaluru FC in India. It was a radical change! I stopped getting millions in advertising and sponsorship, and I could only sign 4 foreigners. So I had to invest in developing the youth ranks and back homegrown talent, to reach my goals".
"I ended up going back to England, this time to Hereford, in 2277.
However, my time at FC United had left its mark, and a "dream team" formed that was almost impossible to beat. I only managed it in 2289"
Stats
Jogos: 15678
Wins: 11217
Draws: 1997
Defeats: 2464
Goals scored: 42672
Goals conceded: 15563
Win ratio: 71%
Cups: 729
Titles: 258
Promotions: 10
Individual awards (manager of the month/season): 1028
Money spent on signings: £9.41 billion on 684 players
Money received from sales: £8.65 billion on 491 players.
The German record holder started in the National League North and only reached the top flight in 2023.
When asked about memorable moments from the 333 seasons, he replied:
"Maybe the first win against big teams like Manchester City and Manchester United, as FC United manager. Obviously the first title and the first Champions League, won in 2037 against Atlético Madrid, were very important too!
"Also, building the biggest stadium in India, the Hedel-Arena, with 86,250 seats, in 2257, left a mark on me.
Last but not least, reaching the Asian Champions League semi-finals in 2075, 2246 and 2255. Those are significant milestones I reached"
About the Guinness record, Sepp Hedel said it was an honour to receive such an award.
New record: Longest single game of @FootballManager ⚽
After 333 seasons, 1,940 hours of real-world play time and 42,672 goals scored, Germany’s Sepp Hedel is victorious 🎮 https://t.co/2GUcPeAY6Z #GWRgamers- GuinnessWorldRecords (@GWR) 2 October 2019
